Lovers and Martyrs
by hauntedd
Summary: If history is written by the victors, what remains buried between the lines? Silver Millennium, Makoto/Nephrite.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, I'm just playing in the sandbox.  
A/N: I got this random bunny, even though I haven't been active in this fandom in a _very _long time. Makoto's always been my favorite, though, so let me know if I'm doing her and Neph justice! :)

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Her restlessness grows by the day. Jupiter may be home, but it isn't where she should be when the world is falling apart around her. She'd been ordered back here by Venus, her leader, to command the outer senshi, should they be needed in battle. It's the only bit of responsibility she has and it's merely because _someone_ has to do it and Queen Serenity doesn't trust her with the Princess' life unless it's absolutely necessary.

Normally, she doesn't mind. She'd learned early that the loyalty of the house of Jove was always in question, and she appreciates the freedom that these types of missions bring. The Moon is boring and its protocol exhausting and Astraea prefers her company to be more interested in her thoughts than her station.

However, these missions usually come at a lull, not in the heat of battle, and a week of waiting and no word besides _do nothing_ has made her anxious and angry at the perceived rejection. Her body is aching for a fight, and she's concerned whether or not her beloved will survive until she returns to the battlefield.

The doors open and she jumps away from the window, startled, as an entourage enters the empty room. She'd isolated herself from everyone from the moment she'd returned, too overcome with worry and too distrustful of those around her to confide in anyone. Those loyal to her are off fighting and risking their lives while she sits and waits for orders that have yet to come. The irony is not lost on her, as she's technically the Senshi of Protection and yet she's relegated to an ivory tower locked away from those who would harm her.

The guests seem typical, the remaining members of the court she never asked for and doesn't want, but the final entrant warms her heart and she forces back the urge to embrace him.

"General," she greets in feigned formality, a wry smile on her face as she meets his gaze. None know of what, exactly, they've done, though rumors run rampant, as both appear far closer than they should.

They'd long agreed to neither confirm nor deny anything.

"Princess," he returns, his face somber and battle-weary. The latest war with the Dark Kingdom has been tough on both the senshi and generals alike, and she is grateful that they've been given a reprieve, regardless of how odd it seems.

"It please me to see that you're well. What brings you to Jupiter?" she questions, mindful of prying eyes and years of protocol. Astraea knows better than to trust the Lunar-appointed court with even the most innocent gestures of familiarity and she longs for her own guardians,who aren't concerned with gossip and respect her enough not to question her loyalties.

"I'm afraid we have matters to discuss," Nephrite admits as she swallows the smile that threatens to escape. While she knows that she should be worried, and she is, the relief she feels is a more immediate emotion. They'd known when the war began that their time together would be limited, so she thanks whomever sent Nephrite to give her the orders, as there is only one reason she can think of for his visit.

It's time to summon the outer senshi.

"Leave us," she commands, and they do, the heavy doors leaving behind an echo that fills the silence that has settled uneasily between them. For a moment, then two, she stares at him while considering the best way to greet her husband properly, but in the end does nothing, knowing that the burden he's carrying must be lightened in ways that are not nearly as enjoyable as the ones she's imagining.

"They know," he states and she feels her world crash down around her. It's not the outer senshi, after all, and the things left unsaid eat at her, filling her with dread. Astraea knows what's coming, the only logical conclusion to be drawn, really. They are to resign their positions in disgrace.

They understood it was a possibility when they decided to intertwine their souls and make one from two, an ancient ritual they'd come across from times when Jupiter had its own empire. It had been her idea, an homage to a heritage she has merely a passing knowledge of, though its memory runs through her veins.

While the Queen of the Moon Kingdom and the King of the Golden Kingdom agree on little, both believe that their heirs, Serenity II and Endymion come before all else, and for guardians to blatantly defy that decree – it's analogous to treason. Though neither of them cared, at the time, and she's certain she still doesn't truly give a damn.

"I'm assuming you're not here to share the well wishes," she jokes through watery eyes, and he simply shakes his head in response. "How?"

"Does that matter?"

"I suppose not, but I wish to congratulate the responsible parties on their cunning betrayal," Astraea snaps, ripping a glass of wine off a table and raising it in a mock salute before downing it with purpose.

"I believe Venus deserves your congratulations, though the order came from Kunzite, after Zoisite was claimed," Nephrite answers and she begins to pace, clawing at her hair as he watches, her mind processing the knowledge with impressive speed.

"Venus?" she spits, eyes wild and her mind already solely focused on revenge. She'd thought they had an understanding, more so than she had with either Mars or Mercury, anyway. To hear that it comes from a friend instead of a foe is worse, and she wonders if jealousy tipped the scales.

"Venus! That traitorous witch. You would think, with her element –"

"It is her understanding of love that suggests she would be the only one able to notice a bond such as this," Nephrite answers coolly and she raises an eyebrow at his response. While she knows he's tired, they're usually mirror images of one another and when one is angry, the other is angrier, and her insecurities rise to the surface.

What if he considers this a mistake?

But when she finally summons the courage to look into his blue eyes, it isn't regret, but worry that she sees reflected back, and she remembers the other bit of news that Nephrite shared.

"What happened to Zoisite?"

"He fights for _her_ now," Nephrite answers, confirming what she fears, and she wonders whether it would have been better if he'd perished instead.

"No," she gasps, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she reaches a hand toward his. His betrayal cuts more than she expects it to, having met the man just a few times, and while she knows, rationally, that Metalia may have played a role in all this, she still finds him weak for giving in.

"I received word yesterday that Jadeite was apprehended by Dark Kingdom forces," Nephrite adds, pulling her close as the severity of it all claws at her, building a sense of dread as a single tear falls from his cheek.

"Then, if prophecy is correct, he will soon follow," Astraea whispers somberly and runs a hand through his hair in an effort to comfort him. He'd never been close to either Kunzite or Zoisite, but Jadite is like a brother to them both.

It pains her to know that Mars' visions are proving correct, not only because she'd refused to believe the raven haired girl, but because believing in eventualities has caused so many of the senshi to put Mars' words before their own capabilities.

As Pluto liked to remind anyone who would listen, there are several potential futures and what comes to pass is a result of choices along the way.

"Yes."

"Are you all right?" she asks, knowing the answer, but feeling the question needs to be asked if only to remind him that he needs to take care of himself. "I've been kept away from matters on Earth due to Serenity's ridiculous decree. If I'd known I would have come."

"I'm fine," he lies and she frowns, but says nothing, knowing better than to provoke him. Nephrite needs to believe that he still has some control over the situation and she's not about to deny a man who's lost two brothers in arms anything.

"Do _they_ know?"

"Mars knew before anyone," he reminds her teasingly, waving a finger in her face like Ganymede used to during lectures when one of them wasn't paying attention. She frowns, swatting it away; annoyed that he's mocking what she thinks is a legitimate question. Generals were normally kept away from the senshi during battle – they had different charges, after all.

"Mars' visions are not certainties. Jadite is stronger than Zoicite. He'll prove to be a more difficult captive and there's no proof that he's switched his loyalties," she adds in a huff, hoping that he hasn't given up on their friend, though the desolate look on his face suggests otherwise.

Sighing, she takes his hand in hers and gives it a squeeze, her eyes growing softer as he swallows hard in attempt to fight back tears. Astraea's pretty sure she hasn't seen him cry since he'd first been sent here on orders from King Lianos, when they were both eight years old. "What do the stars say?"

"Very little. Only that our kingdom's survival…"

"—Depends on the sanctity of the bond," she finishes with a sigh. He'd spoken to the stars after their _dakala,_ or soul-bonding, and she'd experienced the secrets of ancient knowledge first hand.

"Though neither of us knows which kingdom they're referring to – your kingdom of the north, my kingdom, what little is left of it, the Golden Kingdom or the Moon Kingdom."

"Fickle creatures," he adds and she rolls her eyes. He'd warned her not to question the intentions behind their words, but the uncertainty upsets her more than not knowing any potential outcome. Pluto and Neptune had learned early that she preferred her answers concrete and devoid of speculation, though Nephrite is determined to make her a believer.

"You wouldn't appreciate your gift otherwise. You enjoy your complexities, Nephrite."

"Of course I do, I married you," he returns with a kiss and she grins against his mouth before spinning away. Astraea misses these moments and savors them, even if she knows they're simply postponing the inevitable.

"You did more than that," she says, a hand instinctively resting over her heart, though she drops it when she feels the air shift, their brief reprieve over and she has only herself to blame.

"Have they said what they plan on doing?" Jupiter asks in a rush. "I know they will force us to resign, but do we at least get to share quarters in whatever dungeon they throw us into? I hear even prisoners get conjugal visits."

"Astraea…"

"We can fight this, you know," she interrupts, her plan not more than a sketch of an idea, but the indignation grows as she mulls over aging in a small cell, yet another Lunarian laying claim to a piece of what was once a proud empire.

"No. We're soldiers and orders are orders," Nephrite returns and she scowls. She's never been one for orders, neither has he, which is why they're in this predicament in the first place.

"Technically, I am the Queen of the Jovian planets," she reminds him, her body rigid as she calls upon the legacy of her ancestors. She's never said the words aloud, though Astraea notices immediately how right they feel spilling from her lips.

"Believing the words of the separatists they claim you revile?"

"I've always supported them, though never publicly," she admits and it feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. "It's far too dangerous when the walls have ears and Serenity still sends her spies to my employ. It's been hundreds of years since the fall, and yet she still is obsessed with publicly embarrassing my planet and its people."

She walks toward the window, trying to see the shadow of the outer planets in the sky. "Though, the way that she treats the senshi of Saturn, Neptune and Uranus is deplorable. Pluto, too, for that matter, so I suppose it could be worse than being relegated to being the Moon Kingdom's eunuch."

She clenches her fists as she hears a clap of thunder overhead, attempting to rein in the power that threatens to burst. It takes her a moment to realize that Nephrite has moved away from her and she purses her lips in an attempt to mask her hurt. This is only a bit of her true feelings on the history of her planet, and she'd been sure that he would at least listen without judgment.

The truth is there aredarker stories she hasn't told, ones involving her mother, who perished before she turned six, and her father, who died weak and alone. She'd hoped one day, years from now, she might build up the courage to share the shadows of her soul, but she's realizing these might remain stories that exist in the bonds between her and her guardians, and in the distorted rumors of those who spend their time dealing in gossip and half-truths.

"Astraea, what you're suggesting is treason. There hasn't been a recognized government of the Jovian planets for nearly a century. And the senshi of Jupiter has served under Serenity for over three hundred years," Nephrite replies with concern and she sighs, ignoring the sad looks that emanate from his blue eyes.

"Is it treason if it's our only hope for survival?"

"Treason, love, is whatever our rulers suggest," he says sadly, coming closer and brushing an errant curl off her face.

"Then we're already traitors, and this would prevent us from being cowards," she argues as his shoulders sag against the weight of her accusations.

"Would you really wage another war over our bond when so many are already losing their lives to a villainess?"

"Aren't you angry?" She rushes, refusing to answer his question, and blanches as she realizes that she's revealed her true feelings.

"I'm furious, Astraea! But I've already had these arguments with Kunzite _and_ Endymion _himself_. I've broken Kunzite's nose, ravaged my own castle, and threatened to offer my services to Metallia personally –"

"Nephrite," she whispers, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, feeling awful for even having raised the question. Nephrite loves her, that she's sure, and her anger has caused words to fall from her lips that she doesn't mean.

"I didn't," he sighs, entwining his fingers into her curls.

"I would know if you had," she supplies with a sad smile, trying to break up the dark nature of their conversation. She brushes a tear from his cheek and meets his watery gaze with her own, mulling over what she's just said.

"They're concerned the _dakala_ would offer Beryl two soldiers instead of one, aren't they?" She sighs, her anger lightening slightly, having realized there may be an actual thought process behind all of this, though she's annoyed at the weight they've given a possibility.

"Yes. Our souls would follow one another anywhere, even into service to the Dark Kingdom," Nephrite explains and her shoulders slump, guilt seeping in at the knowledge of what she'd accused the others of doing.

"And I thought they were concerned that by bonding our souls we would be unable to protect our charges," Astraea sighs. "Perhaps I'm not giving them enough credit."

"I wouldn't say that. Our loyalty remains in question and there were several discussions of reprimands after the current threat has been dealt with," he replies, pressing his lips to her forehead before finding her ear. "Though, between the two of us, and since we're likely going to the dungeons anyway when this war is over, I would save you before my sovereign."

"Who's treasonous now?"

"Ah, but you forget, love, my treachery is well known. Some have thought that I'd turn against Endymion since before I was born, which makes my position even more laughable," he grins and she groans as he takes her hand in his. "Yours, _my queen_, is held close to your heart."

"And guarded by the man who possesses it," she adds and kisses him, her mouth desperate and longing. She snakes a hand behind his forehead, drawing him closer, though it's only a second before Nephrite takes her hands in his and places them against his heart before gently stepping backward.

He meets her questioning eyes with his own, the urgency of what they must do weighing heavily on his mind, which she senses through their bond. "We can't. They wish for us to do this tonight."

"Do they? Is there even a plan? Does one possess knowledge on how to break a _dakala_?" She asks, angry again. Astraea knows that she shouldn't blame the others for her own foolish needs, but she's lost everything to the Moon Kingdom and now they plan to take some more.

"Venus discovered a ritual that would break us in two, but require us to form a fealty bond with something, or someone, else. The heart always second to duty," he explains and she feels her blood run cold.

"The Soldier of _Love_ suggested this?"

He meets her hot gaze with a smirk and she rolls her eyes, knowing that he had thought similar things upon receiving his orders. "She presented it to Kunzite, who in turn presented me with artifacts belonging to both the Moon and Golden Kingdoms."

"Predictable."

"Yes, which is why I plan to bond with the Jovian Empire. I'm hopelessly devoted to its Queen," he responds with a grin and she feels her heart skip a beat. This is the man that she loves, always fighting and clever enough to escape any ridiculous decree.

"But I suggested something similar and you considered it _treason_," she stresses, confused by the sudden change of heart.

"Serenity's thought police were nearby. The last thing we need is interference," Nephrite replies, wrapping an arm around her, and she smiles against his lips. He'd always been better at hearing servants scratching at doorways.

The heavy implications of his plan come to the forefront of her mind and Astraea frowns, regretting that she must protest this plan.

"Nephrite, we can't!"

"We can, and we must. It's our best and only hope of retaining our autonomy. We know what they will do to us at Serenity's behest," he replies, proud and certain and everything she is not. At her core, she is loyal _enough_ and her only act of treason was a crime of passion.

This, however, would be war.

"You have such little trust?" She asks, hoping for a reason, because while she wishes to believe in what he is saying, Astraea knows that there are things that he isn't considering and uncalculated risks he might not be willing to take.

"I trust Endymion and the princess well enough, however, their parents still live. Your master wouldn't be the princess, nor mine the prince."

"I will not allow _him_ to be your master, not after what he did to you as a child," she declares, scowling at the image of a four year old Nephrite being forced to serve the man who ripped him away from his father's arms while holding a knife to his mother's throat, all because they loved him too much to let a him be lost to a life of servitude just yet. While they'd both suffered at the hands of their rulers, he knows nothing of her plight and his is far too similar to her own.

"We wouldn't have a choice. Our bonds would be to the kingdoms, our will a plaything for our leaders to manipulate for means."

"If our bonds are to the kingdoms, then if the Dark Kingdom is successful, Metalia would then be our master and this ridiculous plan would all be for nothing," she sighs, raking a hand through her hair as she begins to pace, imagining a world in which she serves Metalia without even the slight warmth of her beloved's presence.

"They're insistent that Mars' inability to read the Great Fire since Zoisite's fall suggests that the Dark Kingdom will fail. They won't even consider the possibility of that happening and refuse to answer questions on the subject."

"And yet if we don't do this, our domination by Metalia is a certainty? It must be nice to pick and choose the prophecies to believe in based on the outcome," she frowns, knowing that it will be a losing battle attempting to convince Nephrite to simply save their _dakala_, but needing to try anyway.

"Astraea, we cannot let our love be used as a weapon, neither of our consciences will allow for hiding, and our would-be masters do not have our best interests at heart," Nephrite argues and she sighs as she tries to divine the words he isn't saying from his retort.

"It's a dangerous game, what you're suggesting," she frowns, hating to be the voice of reason when they are both so impassioned.

"I see no other viable alternative. The Dark Kingdom can't conquer a kingdom that's long defeated, and neither the Moon nor the Golden Kingdoms can force us to do their bidding. We'd remain in control of our lives!"

"At what cost? This is about the recreation of an _empire _Nephrite. Millions of people under my command, and what, exactly, do I have to show for myself? The Moon Kingdom doesn't even trust me enough to actually _fight _in this war and now you're asking me to wage another?"

"They sent you here to protect the princess when the others fall, at the insistence of Mars, who never saw your death," Nephrite sighs and she waves him off. She's heard the logic before, but the rejection stings far worse than she expects, even though she's unsure of her loyalties.

"Yes, and to command the outer senshi because somehow the indignity of it all is lessened because I happen to wear the uniform of their planets' onetime leader," Jupiter adds, throwing her wand down onto the desk for emphasis. The metal stick leaves a mark in the oak and she curses under her breath at the show of unintended strength.

She's quiet for a moment, considering his argument, but all she's left with is the implications of what this would entail. This isn't about her, or him, for that matter. It's one thing to claim the title, it's quite another to force others to recognize its legitimacy, which is what this would eventually do.

She'd discussed it once in the abstract with Ganymede, neither knowing it was possible, during a lesson on ethics. And while the older woman hadn't given her opinion on the subject, as she never did so unless directly asked, she had suggested that such a thing would force the outer senshi to see her as their leader and for them to uniformly work to bring back the Jovian Empire, if that was what she wanted.

At the time, she'd said it wasn't, because it was not her right to control the wills of others. Something she still believes in the bottom of her heart.

"And what of Uranus? Neptune? Saturn? Would they even want this?"

"You've said yourself that Serenity abuses them, forces Neptune and Uranus apart, keeps Pluto at the gate. Saturn is seen solely as destruction personified."

"Yes, but would I be any better? I'm not even sure some days whether I want to be a princess, or not, let alone an empress, and if we do this eventually the need to resurrect the empire will be all consuming. And this includes reappointing the outer senshi to roles they may not want," she says, unwilling to force others to fit molds they may have long outgrown.

"I see no other way to protect you."

"You don't need to protect me, **Diomedes**!" She screams, irate and unconcerned who might overhear her use his familial name, which she knows he hates and had previously vowed never to speak aloud, though she'd never gotten a reason as to why he hated it so much.

"Yes I do, _princess_," he returns, his tone clipped and angry, and the use of her title isn't lost on her, though she's too fired up to care.

"If this is about my _protection_ I'm fine! I do know how to fight, _dear_," she reminds him with a look and crosses her arms against her chest, raising an eyebrow, daring him to suggest otherwise.

Nephrite scratches an eyebrow and meets her heated gaze before admitting, "I've lost my family, my men, my livelihood all to leaders I never supported – I can't lose you, too."

"Then don't do this. We, we don't have to – we could run," Astraea stammers, tears falling as she whispers the words into his chest, knowing already that they're born of desperation and not a feasible alternative.

"Where to? Neither Metalia nor Serenity would allow us even a shack in the country on any of the planets if we ran now," Nephrite asks, shuddering against her at the thought of life on the run, constantly the hunted and never the hunters. He knows that his privilege and wealth, what little he has, is solely tied to his position in Endymion's court. And while Astraea is a princess, no one would dare help a Jovian sovereign except the separatists, especially one who, in the minds of most, would be shirking her duties.

"I know, but I'm scared. I don't want to lose you, either, not even to my own planet's needs," she admits, still unsure what this would entail and how it would affect them both.

"You won't."

"But—"

"You _won't,_" he stresses, clutching her close to his chest, her breasts rising and falling softly against the stiff fabric of his dress uniform.

Astrea sighs, mulling over the meaning behind his words, still unconvinced. Years of constant inquiry and doubt by her fellow soldiers had eroded her confidence. The potential ethical complications also ate at her, having been subject to similar demands herself.

"I barely even know the outer senshi and I would be laying claim to them as leader. How is that any different from what the Moon Kingdom did when they waged war and conquered my planet in a time of peace after Earth lost the ability to birth guardians?"

"They had options. We have none," Nephrite answers, blunt and clipped and she swallows a smile, appreciating the truthfulness of his answer and unwillingness to engage her in a debate that would get them both nowhere. They always did manage to prevent the other from these thoughts, a useful skill for soldiers constantly at war.

"I'm flattered that I have your support," she laughs in an attempt to mask her insecurity, though it falls flat. She sighs, raking a hand through her curls and pulling down on the ends in frustration. "We could always lie, pretend that we broke the bond and see what happens. The stars said –"

"Would you risk it? The other kingdom that might be preserved by our bond is the dark one. No one knows what they truly mean," Nephrite questions and she feels her blood grow cold once more, though what she can't verbalize is exactly how concerned she still is about this plan.

He's prone to acts of derring-do in the face of impossible circumstances, and this feels like a last desperate attempt to protect even the illusion of solid ground.

"So you believe Mars' visions, then?" She asks, somewhat uncertain and resigned to selecting the least unsavory option from a list of impossible choices.

"No, but I believe Pluto's words," Nephrite replies with a smirk, awaiting the inevitable questions that come with any mention of Pluto, who is more myth than soldier at this point, even to Astraea.

"Pluto? When? How?" She rushes out, desperate for news. While she is able to interact with the outer senshi on orders from the Moon Kingdom, protection agreements and Serenity's ever-watchful gaze have all but forced her out of their lives, if she was ever truly in them in the first place.

Proserpina hasn't spoken to her directly since her appointment to the gate, and her only communication with Sailor Pluto is through written decrees and warnings, almost all of which go unheeded. So, to hear that Nephrite has spoken to her childhood friend cuts her more than she expects.

"Minos," he corrects and she purses her lips upon his mention of the messenger, her mind going a mile a minute. "He intercepted me on my way here from Earth, though he did not grant me time for questions."

"What'd he say?"

"That the war at this point is unavoidable and will get worse from here, and Pluto had seen several futures and suggested this path for us as the best alternative for all parties," Nephrite answered, electing not to discuss specifics of what _might_ be and focus solely on what _should _be, knowing, from his relationship with the stars, that not everything that was shown came to pass quite like you might have thought.

Astraea frowns, trying to read between the lines as his fingers entwined themselves in her hair.

"She also wanted to pass along her congratulations and inform you to stop doubting yourself," he adds for her benefit, hoping that encouragement from a less biased party will help her come to terms with what needs to be done.

The Jovian collapses into her chair, weighed down by what fate has cast for her and mulling the possible outcomes.

"Neph," she sighs after several minutes of silenced, exasperated and clutching clumps of her hair by the roots and pulling, hard. This is not what she had expected, nor is this anything she's sure she wants.

He knows that voice, it is the one that she uses whenever she is trying to come up with any reason not to do something and failing. Nephrite also knows that it is most common upon receipt of a request from Queen Serenity.

"So you'll do it? Bond with the empire?" He questions after another few minutes of silence, hoping only that he hasn't asked too early in her thought process. It's a delicate balance between preventing her from drowning in her own thoughts and allowing her the time she needs to think.

For all of her reported impulsiveness, Jupiter has always been well equipped to see all sides of the issue when the need truly arises.

Finally, she nods her head, somewhat shocked at her decision as her lips find his ear and whispers; "The royal sword is kept hidden in the woods where we committed the _dakala_. The Moon Kingdom took most of the old relics when they conquered, though my ancestors saved that piece."

She kisses him then, eyes wide and her mind running a mile a minute before entwining her hand in his as he leads her out of the room, into the forest, no longer caring who might see them. Everyone will find out their decision soon enough, after all, and what were a few more rumors in the interim, anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this took so long, but thank you very much for your feedback. The upside is the next part is almost ready to go, so it shouldn't take as long next time :)

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The trees stand tall and inviting, the green leaves sheltering the two of them from the warm air of Jupiter's summer. Astraea smiles awkwardly as she grips Nephrite's hand tighter, knowing full well that she should be more concerned than she is, at the moment. However, she's spent so much time worrying about this war and his safety, that for now she's willing to ignore her instincts.

"Not much farther," Nephrite observes and she nods her head in agreement, noting that something still seems off in his behavior and debates whether or not to ask about it. She's usually the one who is on edge, so it seems strange to be the calm one, for once.

"Are you alright," she asks finally, certain of the answer but needing to fill the silence before it consumes her.

"I will be," he grits out and Astraea recoils at the sense of foreboding behind his words—there's something that is being left unsaid and while she wants to ask the question, she's distracted by the pile of dirt in front of her and she feels her heart sink in her chest.

"Nephrite, look," she whispers, breaking away from him and rushing forward, eyes wide as she takes in the scene in front of her. Nothing is left but torn up grass and brown earth.

"Shit," Astraea curses, raking a hand through her hair as she paces around in a circle, her curls untamed and her expression a mixture of fury and doubt.

"Mars must have seen it and warned them of this, we need something else," Nephrite snaps, panic evident in his voice, and she takes note of the fear lurking behind his bright blue eyes.

"I don't have anything else! They took _everything_," she screams, swallowing a sob that threatens to escape. She can't open herself up to him now, not when they need a plan and fast.

"What about your wand?"

"It's worthless. Serenity replaced them all after Beryl started her campaign," she answers in half-truths, waiving it around like a toy for emphasis. She'd seen Uranus' once, right after they'd come into their powers, and Astraea knows that what she'd received at her own ceremony was not her birthright.

She hurls her pen into the forest on impulse, frustrated. The brunette immediately regrets it when she realizes just how far it flies, but doesn't dare go after it, well aware that if she does, he'll take off without her.

"Fuck," he curses, shaking out his wrists as he begins to pace, and she wonders if this is what he looks like when he's strategizing with Kunzite. Though, from what he's told her, they argue more than anything else. "This can't be! We need something, anything."

"We're stronger than this. We don't need anything other than one another to fight them off," she rambles, her eyes wet with unshed tears as she looks past him, into the woods for an answer. And, well, where she might have thrown her transformation wand.

"No. No, we need to break this bond. It's the only way," Nephrite argues, his voice panicked and shaky, though it's his words that cause her heart to chill and the air to leave her lungs. It's only the rage that takes over that keeps her from fainting; her eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Have I offended you so deeply that this is the only solution? You said that our love could conquer all things and yet here you are willing to throw it away at the first test," she screams, her body wrecked by sobs, unable to continue pretending that she is in agreement with this plan.

"Damn it, Jupiter," he curses and she stiffens at his use of her title. She glares at him, green eyes narrowed in a challenge, no longer willing to show him any vulnerability. He's not thinking clearly and this is simply evidence of that.

His fists ball together into tight ovals and she frowns, electing not to respond at first, though a part of her is begging her to do so. Instead she untangles his fingers and takes his hands in hers, forcing a tight smile to grace her lips. She's unsure why he's so insistent, but brushes it aside, trying to come up with a plan, if only to assuage her own fear.

"Maybe this is a sign. Maybe we're not thinking clearly," she says as softly as she can, given the circumstances, and purses her lips when he slips his hands out of hers. His calloused fingers find his hair and comb their way through it, gripping and pulling at strands as she continues to stare at him, hiding her hurt.

"It's not a sign," Nephrite whispers, his voice firm but soft and she pales as the words sink in, realizing that it's not conjecture, but a fact that he's presenting.

"How do you know?" She asks, dreading the answer as he continues to pace, his heavy boots wearing into the soft ground.

"How do you think?" He returns, tearing himself away from his thoughts, his blue eyes boring into her green gaze with a wildness that she hasn't seen in years.

"But you said—you said this was the best alternative! You _promised _I wouldn't lose you, that Pluto was supportive." Astraea shouts, her anger and confusion winning out over the other emotions racing through her head. She realizes now that Nephrite knows much more than he's letting on and she doesn't like it.

"She is," he hisses in pained agreement and her eyes widen, trying to make sense of everything. She'd always hated strategy, preferring to act first and ask questions later.

"Then_ why_?"

Nephrite's blue eyes settle on her face and he communicates all he can through a look. She scowls, arms crossed over her chest and ready for battle, as she considers what he **isn't** saying.

"You were going to trick me! To what end?"

Nephrite, she notes, has the decency to look apologetic when she calls him on his machinations.

"I've seen good men become vile creatures after being touched by Metalia," he begins, his voice heavy and filled with pain. _Zoisite _she realizes without him saying a word and Astraea swallows her displeasure as she realizes that he's experienced more than he's let on.

She's supposed to be the one protecting _him_, not the other way around. Why is it that no one allows her to do the job she'd been born to do? The brunette sighs and forces herself not to roll her green eyes in response.

"I know, but we're slaves to our emotions," she smirks, hoping to stop him from continuing this train of thought. Astraea knows what he plans to do, now, and she needs a way to remind him that they're stronger together than they are apart.

"We'll be slaves to more than that if we don't do this **now**," he returns morbidly and she swallows a sob that threatens to escape.

"I'd rather lose a battle with you beside me, than live a life without you in it," she bites out, relying on anger instead of sadness to make her point.

Nephrite opens his mouth to respond when they both notice the shadows that are overtaking the woods, painting the sky with an unnatural blackness, and his back tenses in response. It's happening, just as he'd been warned, and he must do something now to fight the inevitable.

"Is this—"

"Astraea, the woods," he commands, pointing into the distance, and she inhales sharply at his tone.

"Not without you!" She screams, rooting her feet into place, more for effect than anything else. Astraea's never backed down from a challenge and she _certainly_ isn't about to start now.

"We still need something to break the bond."

"Weren't you listening? There isn't anything," she snaps, annoyed at his persistence that this is the only way to prevent Metalia's victory.

"Use a stone from the castle—you have to try," Nephrite pleads and she claws at her eyebrow in an effort to keep her anger at bay.

"I think fighting for our lives is a more immediate concern," she bites out as the wind picks up and the air grows thicker.

"Which is why you need to run. You threw your wand into the woods!" Nephrite argues, knowing that it's a losing battle, and she scowls as he plays the trump card.

"What? You need me, powers or not. Nephrite, if they capture you, we'd both—"

"There isn't any time! You don't need me to break the bond. I'll stay here and hold them off. It's the only way," he pleads and Astraea raises an eyebrow, green eyes widening as she realizes what Nephrite is about to do.

She's not going to let him—not now, not _ever._

"What about you? What happens if I do this without you?"

"Don't worry about me," Nephrite responds and she rolls her eyes at his attempt at self-sacrifice.

"What do you mean don't worry about you? Everyone who has gone against Metalia either winds up dead or her mindless slave!"

"I'll be fine."

"You're lying," she snaps, her green eyes narrowing into slits as she balls her fists in an attempt to mask her rage. Thunder sounds in the distance as her element mirrors the torment that is ripping at her soul. Astraea spares a glance at Nephrite and notices his sagging shoulders and the weariness behind his eyes.

It's only after pretending to look away again that she also catches him glancing at his crystal sullenly and she slaps it from his hand, irate.

"You knew this would happen! You knew and did it anyway!" She accuses, glaring at the offending object with newfound awareness of his role in this mess.

"I had to. They were always going to take one of us—I couldn't let it be you," he sighs, blue eyes focused into the distance as he palms the hilt of his sword.

"So, that's it, then? The stars and Pluto and Mars and _everyone else _say that something may happen, and you run like a scared mouse to ensure that it does!"

"L—"

"Don't. Don't you dare try to justify this," she orders, her body shaking slightly in anger.

"We're soldiers, Astraea, and this is a sacrifice we must make," he begins, placing a piece of paper into her palm and frowning as her scowl deepens at his words.

"No. I can't—I won't," she states, her green eyes filled with tears despite her best efforts to keep them at bay. "How dare you? How **dare** you!"

"This is bigger than us," he begins, only to be silenced by her palm on his cheek and the sharp pain that follows.

"This has nothing to do with _us_, Nephrite. This is about you surrendering before the first blow," she hisses, hurt and betrayed. She can't believe this is happening—it was one thing to agree to turn her back on everything she knew with him by her side, but to go it alone?

Astraea raises her hand once more and he grabs her wrist, pulling her into his arms despite her protests, still unyielding despite their proximity. Nephrite leans slightly, his mouth finding her ear and she inhales sharply at the change in position, refusing to meet his gaze for fear of backing down.

"It's only a matter of time before the Moon Kingdom falls. Serenity is ill prepared and weak from years of peace. Earth is already lost to Metalia," he explains and she balks at his cynicism, only to realize that he's entirely serious, which is alarming. "Without a champion, without _you_, the universe will follow."

"What? I don't—champion?"

"Jupiter is the only one strong enough—you must reclaim your birthright and lead the others," Nephrite pleads as he stares into her wide green eyes, filled with doubt and confusion. "Look inside yourself, you know it's true."

"I won't fight you," she sighs halfheartedly, but hoping that he'll take her words to hint at a willingness to go along with his plan, instead of what it really is—a way to mask her intentions to do just the opposite.

"Yes you will," he whispers, and Astraea exhales, aware that he's bought into her deception. He thinks she's referring to an unwillingness to fight him in battle, and by extension, she's bought into his stupid plan.

Nephrite grips her tightly; raking calloused fingers through her russet curls, as if imprinting her to memory. She looks up with wide eyes and meets his blue ones, watered over with unshed tears. He lowers his chin slightly, cupping her cheek and pressing his lips against hers. The kiss is quick but passionate and Nephrite releases her with a pained sigh, neither wanting to say the obvious. "Now go."

She stares at him for a moment, until the first blasts sound in the distance, more to alert the Jovians to their presence than anything—Astraea's been party to enough battles over the years to know when something is simply for show. However, the noise spurs them both into action.

He races forward, toward the blasts and the brunette watches him for a moment, her attention divided between him and the woods where her wand was thrown, left with the decision of following her heart, which tells her to follow him, or her mind, which tells her to find her wand, first.

Astraea scowls as she mulls it over, only slightly aware that her feet have already made the decision for her. Plans and logic have never been her forte, not when Nephrite is concerned, so stalks after him in the shadows, thoughts racing through her head as she prepares to save him from himself.


End file.
